Disinformation Campaign: Fake Documents and Dubious Videos in the Colombian Mercenaries Narrative
On August 14, 2025, a fresh attempt to tarnish the image of the United Arab Emirates surfaced on social media, promoting unverified claims about the management of Colombian mercenary networks in Sudan. The campaign was launched by Sudanese influencer Mohamed Abdel Rahman Hashim on his Facebook page, where he posted a forged document alleging that retired Colombian Colonel Álvaro Quijano Becerra was involved in a large-scale operation to recruit and transfer fighters from Colombia, via the UAE, to Sudanese conflict zones.
A forged document with obvious flaws
Marketed as an official paper from the UAE Ministry of Interior, the document quickly raised suspicions due to its lack of credibility. A technical review revealed:
- No security features such as QR codes or holograms.
- Layout inconsistent with official security license templates.
- Linguistic and formatting errors indicating fabrication outside official channels.
- Blurred and unverifiable stamp and signature.
- Absence of mandatory details such as commercial registration and legal address.
Comparison with genuine UAE Ministry of Interior documents left no doubt that the circulated paper was nothing more than propaganda designed to level political accusations.
The Becerra story: from officer to political scapegoat
Hashim’s account attributed to retired Colombian Colonel Álvaro Quijano Becerra a key role in “recruiting 1,500 mercenaries” for the Rapid Support Forces, claiming that he had served in the UAE army’s “foreigners’ special brigade” before founding a security firm (A4SI) with his wife, allegedly contracting with another Emirati company named Global Security Service Group.
Yet, scrutiny of Becerra’s record reveals no documented ties to the UAE or any party to the Sudanese conflict. His military service, which ended in 2007 upon leaving the Colombian army, has been more a subject of political and media exploitation than evidence of actual involvement.
The Italian angle: a dubious video on “X”
In the same campaign, the Italian agency Agenzia Nova reported on a video posted on “X” by a Sudanese living in the UK, allegedly showing a battalion of Colombian mercenaries fighting near a mosque in El-Fasher. The agency also reiterated the claim of an “airstrike on an Emirati plane in Nyala carrying mercenaries,” without providing solid evidence.
Video analysis revealed that the footage merely depicted Sudanese army units engaged in local clashes, unrelated to any foreign mercenaries. Inconsistencies in military uniforms, spoken dialects, and even the weaponry exposed the fragility of the narrative.
Campaign objectives: the UAE as a target
The orchestrated campaign — through the forged document and the fabricated video — relies on a structured narrative aimed at discrediting the UAE by:
- Falsely linking it to international mercenary networks.
- Misleading Sudanese and global public opinion on the dynamics of the Darfur conflict.
- Leveraging social media platforms and European news agencies to echo and legitimize the story.
The UAE: adherence to international law
Despite deliberate disinformation, the facts remain clear:
- No legal or international breach has been proven against the UAE regarding mercenary recruitment or transfer.
- The UAE is recognized for its humanitarian and diplomatic role in supporting regional stability, not fueling wars.
- What is being spread is part of an information warfare strategy designed to sow distrust and cast doubt on specific regional actors.
The use of forged documents and dubious videos to promote the “Colombian mercenaries” narrative is nothing more than a propaganda tactic lacking credibility, exposing the extent of information manipulation in a media landscape now inseparable from regional conflicts. While some continue to target the UAE through hostile campaigns, the reality remains: no evidence proves its involvement beyond international law, whereas media disinformation stands as one of the most dangerous weapons of modern warfare.
